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Wednesday, May 20, 2015

As I sit here now to
write these words, the tears are already flowing. I cannot believe that my
first year is over. It seems like just yesterday I was sweating bullets during
open house while meeting parents. This has been one of the craziest, most
difficult, yet most rewarding years of my life. Teachers are NOT lying when
they tell you this is tough stuff! I have learned so much over the course of
the year, and my time was filled with memories, lessons, tears, and laughter
that I will take with me as I continue in this journey of teaching. I’m sure there are plenty of letters and
lessons that teachers could write as advice for those diving into this job, but
I just wanted to share a few things I gathered along the way that I feel have
been my most important lessons learned.

Ask for help- you will need it all the time! Don’t be too
prideful to say that you don’t know how to do something. I found a few people
who were always willing to answer my silly questions (and also learned those
that were not). It was so nice to have people that were eager to sit down with
me to help me learn to tackle something new because there was so much I did not
know. Trust me, you are never out of questions.

Stand firm. Just because it is your first year teaching
doesn’t mean you don’t know what you are doing. You went to school for this and
probably learned a heck of a lot. You will not always be wrong, and others will
come to you for help sometimes as well. If you come across people who try to
make you feel inferior because you are new, stand firm. I was not good at this.
I did not stand up for myself, I couldn’t tell someone else when I thought they
were wrong, and I didn’t know how to tell someone no. I really don’t like
conflict, so this was so hard for me. But I would get angry or upset often
because I felt like I was letting someone else control what I was doing in my
classroom. When honestly, I knew my plans could be even better. As Meghan
Trainor would say, “I might be young, but I ain’t stupid.” J I knew what I was
doing. It got better as the year went on, but trust me, I am still working on
this one. No, you don’t always have to be right (there is a lot that I wasn’t
right on through the year), but you also don’t always have to be wrong. If it’s
your decision, you be the one to make it. Trust yourself, be confident, and do
what you want to in YOUR classroom. After all, you are the teacher now!

“No one can make you
feel inferior without your consent.” –Eleanor Roosevelt

Write your lesson plans in pencil. I learned this lesson
about two weeks into the school year. Once I had scratched out so much that I
had no more room to write the lesson plans that were actually going to take
place, I decided it was best to stick with something that erases. There will
always be extra things that come up unplanned, units that take longer than
expected, students who miss something they needed, etc. Be ready and willing to
switch it up and cope with the changes.

Don’t freak out. The stress is real, and there will be days
when you feel like you’ll never be able to get it all done. Sometimes those
“days” of stress turned into weeks for me, and it would literally make me sick.
You will get frustrated, you will yell, and you will cry. It’s inevitable. But
I had to learn to take a deep breathe in those times, prioritize, and rest
assured that everything will work out. Time management was a big obstacle for
me. The truth is that God WILL give us more than we can handle- that way we
have no choice but to trust Him and rely on Him to get us through all things.
It is a reminder of our need for Him daily.

“In my distress I
called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my
voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.” –Psalm 18:6

“I sought the LORD, and
he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” –Psalm 34:4

Don’t let criticizing parents tear you down. They won’t all
like you or agree with you. I can’t even count the number of days I went home
and cried (or couldn’t hold back the tears while I was still at school) because
of a parent who thought that I was doing something wrong. I have now been yelled
and cursed at- some parents can be really mean. But if you are working hard at
your job and serving your students right, don’t doubt yourself. As Taylor Swift
would advise you, “Shake it off! Shake it off!” J
Keep your head up, and your dedication to their child will shine through.

“Have I not commanded
you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the
Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” –Joshua 1:9

Pray for patience every morning. It won’t be easy. There
were some days when my kids would drive me absolutely insane. There were days
when I found myself mid-day thinking “holy cow, I need to chill,” because I had
been frustrated and snappy with my kids. I literally began to pray for patience every
morning on my drive to school. “Better a patient person than a warrior…”
–Proverbs 16:32. Patience is key. I put a note on my desk about halfway through
the year as a reminder to ‘choose joy’ every day. It’s a struggle, but
joyfulness leads to a delightful classroom.

Remember that loving on your students is the most important part of
your job. Everything else can wait. Sometimes I would get so wrapped up
in emails and paperwork that I would completely ignore the “Miss Puwbiss” being
called out five times from across the room or the story I was being told about
something exciting from their weekend. Building relationships and a bond of
trust with your kids is the best thing you can do for your classroom. Hearing
“I luh you, Miss Puwbiss” over and over is the most fulfilling thing I can hear
as a teacher. That is what’s important.

What you do matters. You will look back at the end of the
year and truly realize all of the progress your kids have made. It’s hard to
see those things in the midst of the chaos of every day, but the work is worth
it. We call our students our kids because they become just that in our
hearts. When you are spending your time
with them day in and day out, you form a bond and a love that is so special.
When we accept Christ as our Savior, we are called to a life of greater purpose
for His glory. “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love,
O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands…” –Psalm 138:8. Your
work is a form of worship to our God, so remind yourself of that daily. Glorify
the Lord with the profession He has called you to, and He will bless you
through it.

It won’t be easy, but
it will all be worth it. Good luck, first-year teachers! And have fun!

"It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you. It's what you leave behind you when you go." -Randy Travis